


A Dead Laptop Finds Naruto The One™

by beeya



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Café, M/M, Other, They/Them pronouns for Gaara, gaara and co probably have a flower shop because i love flower shop tropes ok. also its gaara, naruto is studying to be a vet, that might change i am Undecided, they bond over animals, they meet in one [side eyes emoji], theyre both nervous and awkward
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-27
Updated: 2018-07-24
Packaged: 2019-05-29 08:25:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15069152
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/beeya/pseuds/beeya
Summary: Naruto was, for lack of better words, fucked. Absolutely, one-hundred percent, fucked.It was 2:56 PM, and he had an online exam at 3 o’clock sharp. This wouldn’t have been a problem, except for the fact that his computer was currently dead and every single outlet in the cafe he was in was already being used. Well, except for one. One which was in a booth with one side currently occupied. By a very attractive and very intimidating redhead (which just so happens to be Naruto's type).





	1. Thank you, dead laptop and timed exam

Naruto was, for lack of better words,  _ fucked.  _ Absolutely, one-hundred percent, fucked. 

 

It was 2:56 PM, and he had an online exam at 3 o’clock sharp. This wouldn’t have been a problem, except for the fact that his computer was currently dead and every single outlet in the cafe he was in was already being used. Well, except for one. One which was in a booth with one side currently occupied. 

 

Normally, the presence of another wouldn’t deter the blond boy. He was a people person, thriving on the conversations he had with others. However, this person happened to be  _ extremely  _ attractive, as well as intimidating. Not to mention the fact that they had bright red hair, Naruto’s  _ type. _ Naruto did not want to deal with the person at the moment, the fear of embarrassing himself in his rush at the forefront of his mind.

 

Still, there was no way Naruto had time to run off somewhere else and get his computer up and running before 3, and he feared that if he asked someone to let him use their plugin it’d take to long to explain or find someone willing. Looking at his phone revealed that it was now 2:58, leaving him only one choice. 

 

Naruto rushed over to the booth and sat down, fishing his laptop and charger out of his bag and turning it on as soon as possible. His leg bounced up and down quickly, an anxious habit he had never been able to break, as he watched the clock. Part of him thought he should maybe explain to this stranger what he was doing, but it was 2:59 and he would barely have enough time to login without trying to talk to a very attractive person at the same time.

 

Thankfully, his computer was quick to start and the Wi-Fi was fairly fast for having so many users, and he made it just in time. He let out a breath of relief, but it was cut short when he caught the person across from him glaring out of the corner of his eye. Naruto began to worry again, but the test itself had a time limit on it so he did his best to ignore the fact that the glaring continued.

 

_________

 

Half an hour later and Naruto was finally done, his head falling forward to meet the table with a groan. The exam was on math, and while Naruto felt like he had done an okay job, it was the hardest subject for him and required a lot of extra effort to pull off. 

 

Thinking it was probably time to apologize to the attractive stranger, Naruto lifted his head up to find the emotionless green eyes still watching him.

 

“Ahahaha… Uh... “ 

 

_ Wonderful.  _ Off to a bad start, Naruto lifted a hand to rub the back of his head, yet another of his nervous habits. 

 

“I-I’m sorry I sat down without asking…! I, uh, had an online exam that was about to start, and this was the only available outlet, and I didn’t  _ really  _ have time to ask or anything because I  _ needed  _ to login or I’d get a zero, and then it’s also a timed test so I couldn’t spare the time to say anything before I finished and I--” 

 

And the last of his most prominent nervous habits -  _ rambling.  _

 

The green eyes continued to stare at him, squinted slightly as if trying to judge him. Eventually Naruto trailed off and just sat awkwardly in silence, the other not saying a word.

 

“I, uh, I’m Naruto?” A sheepish but genuine grin appeared on the blond's face as he waited for the other to do or say  _ something. _

 

“What was it on?” A reply finally came from the other, their voice deeper than Naruto had anticipated, though he thought it fit the redhead quite well. The content of the reply confused Naruto briefly, however. He had expected annoyance, or maybe for them to just introduce himself as Naruto had.

 

“Oh, uh, my test? It was math… I’m not very good at it, but I think it went okay! I wish I didn’t need to take it, but they require it for anyone training to be a vet.” 

 

“You want to be a vet?” 

 

Green eyes had widened slightly as the redhead tilted their head slightly, either in surprise or excitement, though Naruto wasn’t sure which. Doing his best to ignore how  _ goddamn cute  _ the action was, Naruto forged on with the conversation.

 

“Yeah! Animals uh… animals were always there for me, even when pretty much everyone else that knew me hated my guts… They helped me out, so I want to be able to do the same! If I can, I’m gonna be a specialist and focus on more dangerous animals that not as many would be willing to treat. I feel like it’s unfair that they’ll go without help just ‘cause someone’s scared of ‘em!   
  


Naruto cringed as he realized that was maybe implying a bit much about his life for someone he’s been talking to for under five minutes… Was that oversharing? Naruto hoped that wasn’t oversharing. 

 

A glance back at very-attractive-redhead doesn’t help Naruto determine much. Their head was still (adorably) tilted slightly and they were staring very… intensely at him. Naruto gave an awkward chuckle, looking away and rubbing the back of his neck as his face flushed slightly.

 

“Um--”

 

“That’s good.” The strangers voice was loud enough to hear, but considerably quiet compared to the loudness of the cafe. Their eyes were still locked on Naruto, watching as his nose crinkled slightly in confusion.

 

“It’s… good?”

 

Now it was the redheads turn to blush, their eyes finally leaving the blond’s to search around the cafe for something to land on as they attempted to form the right words. (Naruto felt slightly guilty for making the stranger nervous, but he wasn’t sure what they had meant and he had voiced his confusion without thinking.)

 

“Well-- I mean… You... I think it’s nice. That you care for animals so much. And want to help them.” 

 

Naruto smiled at the words and decided to plunge forward deeper into conversation the way he knew best -- rapid fire talking and a ton of questions.

 

“You think so? I’ve always loved animals, and-- Oh! My favorite animals are foxes! What’s yours? I have a fox, want to see a picture of him? His name is Kurama.” 

 

Naruto’s hand reached for the phone in his pocket before the other had a chance to say anything and began looking for photos.

 

“Oh, uh… I like raccoons, I guess. We used to have one. And… tortoises?” 

 

Naruto’s smile grew wider as he successfully got the stranger to keep talking, sparing a quick glance up to the other from his phone before returning to scrolling through his photo album.

 

“Really? That’s so cool! I’ve never seen a raccoon-- well, not up close I mean, I’ve seen them around and all, but those are just in the wild. Tortoises are pretty sweet, too. I mean, they’re just so  _ chill _ . Don’t really mind what’s going on around ‘em as long as they get to eat and stuff-- Oh, found it!”  

 

Naruto quickly spun his phone around and held it out to show the redhead the photo.

 

“This is Kurama. He’s  _ super  _ grumpy, especially when he first wakes up, but secretly he loves me, I can totally tell. This is from when--” A ringing from the phone sitting in front of the stranger cut off Naruto’s introduction of his fox, and he lowered his arm with a small pout that he hoped the other didn’t notice. 

 

The stranger glanced back and forth between his phone and Naruto for a moment before he spoke. 

 

“Oh… Sorry, I’ve gotta…” 

 

Naruto smiled at them as they picked up the phone and answered, looking back at the photo he had pulled up to make it seem like he wasn’t totally listening in on the conversation (he was, but not like creepily or anything, he swears, he just didn’t have anything else to focus on really). 

 

“Hello… I’m at the cafe still. Yeah… Okay. I got it. I’ll be there soon.” 

 

The redhead removed the phone from their ear and pressed the button to end the call before looking back to Naruto.

 

“Um… I’ve got to go… My sister needs me for something.”

 

Naruto smiled despite the disappointment he was feeling. They were a redhead, adorable  _ and  _ attractive, liked animals, and didn’t seem to mind Naruto’s constant rambling? Naruto was so lucky to have the one open outlet be the booth with them, but it seems his luck had worn out as this would likely be the last time they saw each other.

 

“Yeah, ‘course. No problem. Bye, um…” And suddenly, Naruto realises he doesn’t even know the other’s name, had never even asked for it, and the guilt of it falls over him. 

 

_ You didn’t even ask for their name?! Jeez, you’re so rude, Naruto! _

 

Understanding the pause, but oblivious to Naruto’s inner turmoil, the redhead flushes slightly as they realise they had forgotten to give their name after Naruto had given his.

 

“Oh… Gaara.”

 

Naruto looks up again, fighting to keep his grin from getting creepily-big. The disappointment is still there, but at least now he has a name.

 

“Gaara. Right. Then… bye, Gaara.” 

 

The redhead--  _ Gaara--  _ pulls the bag over their shoulder and pockets their phone. They hesitate in their seat briefly, but eventually they stand. They look to Naruto again, give a quiet “Goodbye, Naruto”, and then they’re out the door.

 

Naruto watches them until they turn the corner at the end of the block and then lets his head fall forward onto the table to hide the blush covering his cheeks.

 

He has only two thoughts: he should have asked for Gaara’s number, and he is once again absolutely _fucked_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if yall have title ideas for this hmu because i dont rlly like the current one i just needed smth so i could post blease help me
> 
> the title of the doc itself is 'will i be able to write narugaa? stay tuned' because i never title anything i write normally  
> this was going to be a oneshot but........ It's Not. hopefully ill update it somewhat soon? sorry for any errors i havent read thru the last half as much as the first so i mightve missed smth
> 
> gaara is also awkward and doesnt know how to talk to ppl and i LOVE HIM
> 
> [naruto, unknown amount of time later: i cant believe i found the love of my life bc my laptop was dead. wow. makes u think  
> gaara: its 4 am please go back to sleep]


	2. [Gay Panic]

It’s Thursday, and Naruto is at the cafe again for the fifth time since the  _ encounter _ last Friday. 

 

In his defense, this had been one of Naruto’s favorite cafes since he moved into town. If he had happened to stop taking his drinks to go and sat down to work in a booth more often since meeting Gaara there, well. Coincidences happen.

 

Despite the fact that Naruto  _ was  _ actually there waiting to see Gaara again, he had also found out that working at a cafe was quite helpful for him. Working at home was often  _ too  _ quiet for him, and he’d end up spending a ton of time on YouTube that started by looking for a song but ended on videos of various animals.

 

(His current favorite is one of an owl making the weirdest face, but that’s not the point.)

 

The background noise of the workers and other customers helped keep Naruto stay on track faster, without getting sidetracked in the process. At the moment, he’s carefully studying the anatomy of a common type of pet bird for one of his classes. Of his undergraduate studies, this is one of the ones most strongly related to being a vet, resulting in him being much more interested in it rather than the other homework he has sitting to the side.

 

Which explains why he didn’t exactly notice the person sitting across from him at first. Which is why, when he finally looked up to see Gaara sitting across from him, phone in hand but eyes planted firmly on Naruto, he  _ literally jumps  _ in his seat. And ends up banging his knees against the table in the process.

 

“ _ Jesus-- Fuck.”  _ He grimaces and rubs his knees in an attempt to soothe both the injury and his pride. Looking back over to Gaara, he finds a strange expression on the others face. 

 

“Um, hi… Sorry. Didn’t see you at first.”

 

_ Great. This is going so fucking great, Naruto.  _

 

Gaara pauses a moment, the strange expression still present, before speaking.

 

“I’m sorry. I should’ve said something… You seemed really concentrated, so I didn’t want to interrupt, but… Sorry.”

 

And-- Oh, that face was a guilty face. It may have been cute, but Naruto hated it anyways because  _ No, I’ve only talked to you for like 15 minutes once but you’re adorable and kinda awkward but kind and like that I want to be a vet when, like, everyone else told me I shouldn’t even try and anyways you aren’t allowed to be upset on my watch if at all possible! Being guilty about something small like this? Not allowed on Naruto’s watch!! _

 

Naruto gave them his biggest, happiest smile.

 

“Hey, don’t worry about it! I can get pretty into stuff sometimes, it’s not your fault.”

 

Gaara’s face lights up slightly, giving a small nod and a quiet okay in confirmation. 

 

“So, uh… How long exactly have you been here?” 

 

Naruto thought he might just die from heart palpitations when he saw the slight upturn of their lips.

 

\-  - -  - -

 

Gaara may or may not have been avoiding the cafe for a while.

 

It wasn’t that he disliked Naruto-- No, it was more the opposite. 

 

Gaara liked Naruto. A lot. Which absolutely terrified them, both because it meant they could end up hurt, and because it meant  _ Naruto  _ could end up hurt. Gaara didn’t have a ton of confidence in themself to not royally fuck up and hurt the people they cared about.

 

Gaara didn’t want that for him. 

 

So they spent almost a week avoiding the cafe and Naruto both physically and mentally. They did all they could to ignore all thoughts of Naruto and his wide blue eyes and big smile and--

 

Clearly it didn’t work out very well, because here they were, walking to the cafe on the off chance that Naruto is actually there again. They aren’t even sure  _ what  _ they’ll say or do if the blond’s there.

_ Probably be an awkward fool and do something to make him uncomfortable, _ they mused.

 

To say the least, they weren’t very confident in the whole situation by the time they reached the door to the cafe. They considered leaving, but they had already taken 15 minutes to walk there, and it’s highly unlikely Naruto is there anyways, so they might as well grab a tea and a pastry for the walk home, right?

 

_ Wrong.  _ Their eyes immediately landed upon the energetic blond, looking unusually focused on the papers in front of him. A worker greeted them, jolting them from their spot at the doorway. Naruto didn’t seem to notice their presence, so they slowly stepped forward to the counter and placed their order. 

 

They spent their time waiting at drink pickup leaned slightly against the counter, arms folded across their chest, subtly (or so they hoped) looking at Naruto, and contemplating their next move. They  _ could  _ leave-- Naruto’s eyes had yet to leave the material he was likely studying. 

 

(Gaara wondered what it was. Surely not math, as he seemed to dislike it. Something more animal related?) 

 

And yet the thought of leaving made a frown appear on Gaara’s face despite the anxiety of the interactions that would follow if they stayed. 

 

Gaara turned to grab the offered drink from the barista when they called out the order, and after staring at the lid to it for a few seconds, they decided.

 

_ Fuck it.  _

 

They turned again and began the walk over to Naruto’s spot next to a window. Their fingers nervously tapped against their drink as they sat across from the other, waiting for him to acknowledge their presence.

 

Except, he didn’t. He was apparently so focused that he didn’t notice another had joined him-- Or he was purposely ignoring Gaara, but they did their best to ignore that thought. Gaara liked to think Naruto wouldn’t do that.

 

Deciding against interrupting the focused blond, they grabbed their phone to fiddle with while waiting. Except when they glanced up at Naruto, their focus immediately left the phone entirety, eyes staying on him long enough that their phone screen turned off.

 

And then Naruto finally looked up. Gaara would’ve been utterly horrified at being caught staring if all of their attention wasn’t at the fact that Naruto had slammed his knees into the table.

 

“ _ Jesus-- Fuck.” _

 

Maybe they should have said something sooner…

 

\-  - -  - -

 

They had sat together for around thirty minutes before Naruto checked the time, realized he had to go, chickened out of asking for Gaara’s number again, and frantically left for his job at the vet/pet shop. It was primarily a vet’s office, but there was a section with various pet supplies. Naruto usually spent his time stocking items or running the cash register, but sometimes the owner, Bee, would let him do simpler tasks with the animals. Things like putting the flea medicine on, or clipping nails. Nothing fancy, but Naruto appreciated the opportunities nonetheless. 

 

Coming in through the back door and setting his backpack down, he quickly clocks in and puts on the white apron that makes up the entirety of his uniform. Upon exiting the break room he spots Bee sitting at the front desk working on something and leans on the counter in front of him before speaking.

 

“Yo, Octopops! Got anything special for me today?”

 

“Yo, yo! It’s Naruto! Got some new stuff for you, yes it’s true. New items to put out, they’re really far-out!”

 

Naruto gave an awkward laugh in acknowledgement and went to start unpacking the boxes. Bee was  _ definitely  _ weird, but he was a genuinely nice person, and he  _ was  _ pretty good at rhyming. Even if Naruto wasn’t really sure why he did it all the time, it was kinda cool.

 

The first thing he grabbed out of the box were some new keychains, an item they often had near the register. Upon further inspection, these ones were miniature versions of various animals. Naruto specifically noticed  _ raccoons.  _ They weren’t very high quality, so it’s face was a bit off and it seemed kind of angry, but it still looked cute regardless.

 

Naruto wondered if it would be weird to give someone you’ve met twice a present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and with this i officially have my first multichap fic! wrow  
> literally the title for this chapters word doc is "somehow im writing multichapter narugaa but im down for it ig" because im not usually one to write a lot so i never really imagined doing a multichapter thing. but here we are
> 
> i finished writing the end at 4am while also watching shippuden subbed AND didnt really proof read so im sorry if anythings messed up you can tell me asdfgh
> 
> now, this chapter
> 
> -the owl video. i can see naruto watching this on loop and laughing every time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMQvCCBbRK4  
> -naruto and gaara are hot messes terrible at communicating. nothing new there  
> -i felt like we needed some gaara pov so. its there. i just kinda use whichever feels right so sorry if it ends up on one or the other a ton  
> -i was gonna have tsunade be narutos boss but if i decide to have sakura in this then tsunades gotta be Her boss so. jinchuurikis are vets now and since bee taught naruto about bijuu/being a jinchuuriki in naruto hes teaching him about vet stuff in this. somewhat.  
> -i have no idea how to write bee actually so UHHHH. i just did some random rhyming pls forgive me  
> -sneak peak for next chap i made the keychain look mad just so when naruto gives it to them they can go "it looks just like shukaku :o"  
> -the key chain i imagined is plastic but this is a #valid way to see it too  
> https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/132651699760_/Feisty-Pets-Mini-Rascal-Rampage-the-Raccoon.jpg


	3. Insomnia

Gaara, to say the least, has a bit of an issue with sleep. It’s been this way about as long as they can remember, spending the night trying and failing to fall into slumber until eventually, long after they laid down, their brain would finally allow them much needed rest. When they were younger they at times gave up on sleep entirely, afraid of more nightmares and frustrated with trying only to fail for so long.

 

It had gotten better over time and at this point it isn’t too big of an issue for the most part. Sure, it still takes a bit to fall asleep, but it’s nowhere near what it used to be. However, sometimes, for no apparent reason, the insomnia returns full force, leaving them exhausted and running on small amounts of sleep for days on end. This is the case for Gaara now. Over the last three nights, they’ve only gotten five hours of sleep. Despite insomnia being a regular occurance, this is the worst than they’ve had in a long time.

 

Basically, Gaara is _tired._

 

They would give anything to just _sleep_ , but it’s clear that it’s not happening now, and it _is_ the middle of the day, so rather than lay around wishing, they decided to go out. Helping out at the shop is technically an option, but they honestly wouldn’t be much help in this state. (Temari is perfectly aware of this and tends to prohibit them from helping when they’re like this, anyways.)

 

So now, here they are, in their usual cafe, head laying on the counter miserably with a tea sitting untouched. They’ve been sitting like this for a few minutes when the sound of someone plopping down on the other seat in the booth reaches them, and before they can even lift their head to confirm his identity, Naruto is already speaking.

 

“Yo, Gaara!”

 

Gaara is honestly kind of annoyed that he can be so cheerful while they’re so _not,_ but they know it’s just the exhaustion soiling his mood and lift their head to greet the other anyways. “Hello, Naru--”

 

“Woah, you look like shit!”

 

Gaara stares at him for a moment, watching a flush appear on Naruto’s face as he apparently realizes it wasn’t the best thing to say when Gaara did indeed _look like shit_ , before letting their head fall onto the table once again. Their monotone (though that’s not unusual) response is muffled by the position, but they can’t find it in themselves to care about looking or acting nice at the moment.

 

“ _Thanks.”_

 

“Ah-- I didn’t mean-- I’m sorry! I-- I wasn’t thinking, so I just… You look great, really! Er, well, actually, you kinda-- _don’t_ look great? But, like, not your _looks_ don’t look great, but, like, you _look_ kinda… sick? Or something, I mean like-- What I’m trying to say is-- Are you okay?”

 

Hearing the blond ramble made Gaara’s mood lift despite everything, and by the end they were squinting their eyes slightly, basically the equivalent of laughing for them, while simultaneously hoping there wasn’t a blush on their face because-- _God, he just said I had good looks even if it was in the middle of rambling and this is not something I can handle on_ _such little sleep, Naruto, are you trying to kill me?_

 

Internal freakout aside, they drag their head back up to face Naruto again and find him blushing even more than before and looking slightly mortified at his own actions. Their lips turn up slightly in a ghost of a smile at the sight, glad that at least they weren’t the only one suffering. (Plus, it was _cute._ )

 

“I’m just tired, I haven’t been able to sleep much. I… apologize for making you think I was upset.”

 

“Ah, no, it’s fine, really!” Naruto hums, eyebrows furrowing as he processes the information, “And… that _sucks,_ to say the least.”

 

“It... does. It’s fairly normal for me, but it’s been worse the past few days.”

 

“Really? That, like, _super ultra sucks._ Does, uh… Does talking to someone ever help? LIke, just talking about random stuff to get your mind off sleeping a bit? I mean, I usually do that if someone’s up, usually Sakura, but it might be different for you, y’know, since it happens a lot, I just thought, uh…”

 

That… was surprising. They suppose Naruto has been pretty nice so far, but having someone other than their siblings so concerned for them… They aren’t used to it, to say the least. Most either look at them, with their red hair, unusual birthmark, and emotionless eyes and tend to do what they can to stay away. Even if they _did_ manage to further interact with them, Gaara tended to seem cold and uninterested despite what they had actually been feeling.

 

For some reason, since the beginning, Naruto hadn’t seemed too put-off by any of this. Sure, he had seemed a bit nervous when they first spoke, but to be fair he _had_ sat down across from them without being able to ask first, due to his test’s starting time, and combining that with them being unintentionally intimidating? Naruto’s comfort levels upon meeting them were _far_ higher than anyone else's have been in Gaara’s experience. And, for some reason, they found themselves far more comfortable around Naruto than any of the other strangers they had happened upon or their siblings had tried to set them up with. (Not for anything romantic; they were having enough trouble with the _friends_ part, romance wasn’t even an option for them at that point. ~~Though now, if it was Naruto, then...~~ )

 

“It… does help. My siblings usually sleep fairly early, however, so it usually isn’t an option. I don’t want them to lose sleep just so I can get more.”

 

“Then…” Naruto’s eyes left them, flitting around the cafe. He sounded distinctly nervous, which by itself wasn’t _too_ unusual based off their previous conversations, but the silent pause rather than the anxious rambling combined to make Gaara worried. But, before much thought could be put into it, his eyes returned to Gaara’s with a sense of soft determination in them.

 

“Why don’t you talk to me? I mean, I usually stay up pretty late working on stuff for school, so you won’t be waking me up. You could call or text, or, we could even do a video call if you want!”

 

Their eyes were wide at his declaration; volunteering not only texting, but calling or even _video calls--_ If they had thought Naruto being _concerned_ was surprising, Naruto _directly offering to help_ was just… unbelievable. They were probably overthinking this offer, but it was something they were far from used to. Gaara hoped it wasn’t obvious that their eyes were beginning to water, because it would be a bit awkward to explain that _yes, I’m really fine, I’m just so unused to people that aren’t my siblings taking any amount of interest in me, let alone wanting to help me, that this is making me so emotional I might cry and might end up actually doing so later, because holy shit!_

 

“I-- If… If you’re _sure_ , then… I’d appreciate it, Naruto. Thank you, I… You-- You can always ignore me, if you’re tired, or just don’t feel like talking, or anything. Just the fact that you’ve offered at all, is… Thank you.”

 

With a giant smile on his face, Naruto just about broke them. “Of course! I mean, what are friends for? I’ll never ignore you on purpose, Gaara, that much I promise! Ah, can I see your phone? I’ll put my number in!”

 

Gaara let their head fall so they were staring at their lap as they handed over the phone. So Naruto could put his number in. Because they were _friends_.

 

Gaara has never had a friend before. And somehow, this blond man happened to come into their life and bring with him a whirlwind of emotions and new experiences, and ended up as their friend. They have no idea how they’re so lucky, but they aren’t questioning it.

 

“Ah, I almost forgot! I got you a present!”

 

“...What?” Gaara wasn’t sure how this was real. Really, having someone offer their support, acknowledge them being friends, and _giving them a present_ , all in one day? If they woke up and found it was just a strangely good dream, Gaara wouldn’t be surprised.

 

“A present! Er, well, it’s nothing big. I just saw it at my job, and it reminded me of you! So I got it… Uh, you don’t have to use it or anything but, here…!”

 

A small object with a strap on it was pushed into their hands, and when they brought it closer to them to inspect it they found-- a raccoon. Specifically, a small, cheap, messed up raccoon that had an angry look on its face. And, it kinda looked like…

 

“...It looks like Shukaku.”

 

“Who?”

 

“My old pet raccoon… He was always pretty angry.”

 

Naruto’s booming laughter was the cherry on top of the cake.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> narutos mind throughout this chapter: [gay panic]  
> narutos mind at the end of this chapter: i got their number AND i get to help them out AND i gave them their present!!! look at me go!!! you cant stop me now world!!
> 
> i feel like gaara definitely has a Lot of emotions but they arent shown through usual means/expressions (like they dont laugh out loud normally, and they dont smile often but if they do its small) but i feel like one of the "normal" expressions that does happen for them is crying, though their face is still kinda emotionless as it happens. i feel like this is def true in canon as well (mostly emotionless, rare small smiles, but we see him crying several times which tbh is a good amount for not being a main character) so hopefully i was able to portray that well;;!


	4. Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With their lack of experience with people they can’t help but wonder— when will I finally mess up? when will he get tired of me and my inability to be normal? 
> 
> No matter how hard they try, they can’t help but think that it will happen. Not if, when.

Gaara enters the shop with a jingle of the doorbell, taking a moment to stop and breathe in the familiar smell of potting soil and flowers. Their meeting with Naruto earlier had ended unexpectedly. Not that Gaara was complaining about what had happened, though. But, at the same time, they couldn’t help but worry.

 

They don’t have the best track record with friends— considering they’ve never actually  _ had  _ any. School had been rough, between their strained relationship with their siblings, rumors being spread, and their intimidating aura and lack of social skills? They hadn’t been the most popular, to put it lightly. Of course, their siblings had come around later on and apologized and loved them, but they’re family. It’s not the same as attempting to form a relationship with strangers. And Gaara is terrified both of themself and of Naruto. They hate that they’re terrified. 

 

With their lack of experience with people they can’t help but wonder—  _ when will I finally mess up? when will he get tired of me and my inability to be normal?  _

 

No matter how hard they try, they can’t help but think that it  _ will _ happen. Not if, when. 

 

And then Naruto... Gaara desperately wants to trust him and his word, but because they’re inexperienced in people they can’t help but think that they’ve been reading things wrong. That Naruto has been lying the whole time, silently making fun of them, and were they anyone else Gaara would have known by now. 

 

_ Even if Naruto was doing such a thing, it’s still my fault.  _

 

This is the thought running through their head when Temari rounds the corner behind the counter that leads to their apartment and spots them. 

 

She eyes them standing in the doorway for a moment before sighing. 

 

“Hey, what’re you doing? I heard the bell, and when you didn’t come up I thought a customer had wandered in even though the closed sign is out.”

 

Gaara meets her eyes and realizes they’ve been standing there longer than planned. They spin around to lock the door that was left open for them before slowly walking to their sister. 

 

“Sorry. I didn’t notice how long I was there. It’s Kankuro’s turn to make dinner, right?”

 

Temari eyes them carefully as they pass to walk up the stairs before following, slinging an arm around their shoulder when they reach the top and enter the living room. 

 

“Yup! Hopefully it’s nothing too wild this time. What he made last week wasn’t…  _ bad,  _ but I wouldn’t necessarily say it was good.”

 

Gaara hummed in agreement as they removed their bag and coat, Temari stepping away to allow the movement.

 

“So, little brother. You gonna tell me what’s up?”

 

Gaara’s eyes narrowed as they both plopped onto the couch. Damn Temari and her oldest sibling powers of perception. They could tell her to back off and she would, but when asked directly like this Gaara had a hard time not spilling everything. 

 

“Well… I met someone. At the cafe.”

 

At this admission, Temari blinked. Gaara had met someone. Talked to someone. Willingly? Or were they being harassed? She hoped not, and she couldn’t help but feel proud at the idea of them making an effort to talk to someone. 

 

“He’s…  _ nice.” _

 

A moment of silence passed. Sensing that they were having some trouble deciding how to continue, she attempted to ask something that they could latch onto. 

 

“You say he’s nice, but you seem kinda… not upset, necessarily, but… worried? Confused? Did he do something bad in between being nice?”

 

Gaara shook their head fairly quickly as she finished—  _ not that, then—  _ but it seemed her tactic had worked as they began to speak again. 

 

“No. He’s always very nice. He freaks out and apologizes a bunch if he thinks he upset me in the slightest way. I’m just— I’m not good at this. I’m worried.”

 

Gaara let themself sink further into the couch slightly in preparation for speaking their thoughts. It was never an easy task, but Temari was more knowledgeable in this than they are, and they needed someone to tell them how to think. 

 

“I’m worried,” they started again, “that I’ll mess something up. You’re used to me not knowing what I’m doing, but he isn’t. I— I don’t want to hurt him. Or myself. And… I’m worried I’m reading this wrong. Since I don’t know what I’m doing… I might think he likes me more than he does. He might hate me. I don’t know.”

 

They hadn’t quite explained everything perfectly, but Gaara decided it wasn’t worth continuing. Why did being open have to be so exhausting?

 

Temari hummed to assure them she had been listening and was forming a response. A moment later, she began her to give her advice full of older sister wisdom. 

 

“Well, as much as I hate to admit it, worrying about that kind of thing is pretty normal for relationships. Not to your extent, of course, so you don’t have to worry about it always being this bad, but I don’t want you to feel bad about worrying about this stuff. You met him at the cafe, right? How much have you talked?”

 

“Um… Only a few times. I know it’s weird to worry so much when he’s basically a stranger, but… He— He called me his friend. And gave me a keychain. And… he gave me his number and told me I could contact him if I need someone to talk to…” Saying it all out loud caused Gaara to get even more nervous; that was too much for a near stranger, right? Something  _ was  _ up with Naruto?

 

Part of Temari wanted to shake her sibling by the shoulders while shouting  _ “He has a crush on you!! There’s nothing to worry about!”  _ but she knew that wouldn’t really help them out, true as it likely was. She noticed Gaara’s eyes beginning to stare into one spot, a sure sign that something (likely bad) was up, so she sprang into action quickly to prevent whatever they were thinking from advancing too far. 

 

“I’ll admit that isn’t a long time, but all that already? I’d say, rather than whatever negative thing your thinking, he actually likes you and wants to be your friend as bad as you want to be his. You said earlier he kinda freaks out and apologizes if he thinks he upset you, right?” Gaara nods, so she continues on. “Well, that’s definitely not something that someone who doesn’t care or dislikes you would do. And— he got you a keychain? I wouldn’t spend a dime on someone I disliked,  _ especially  _ if I just met them. Not to mention offering to talk if you need someone. It might seem like he’s lying since it happened so fast, but I’d say that it’s more likely to be true  _ because  _ you’ve only just met.”

 

You guys were strangers, he had no obligation to do any of that like you might if it’s someone you’ve known for years, y’know? Like, if you knew someone since middle school, and even if you don’t like them you might still exchange numbers just because you’ve known each other so long you might as well, or having to get an obligatory gift for them for their birthday. So, since you two didn’t have that, the only plausible reason I can see him doing all that is because he genuinely likes you and wants to keep talking to you.”

 

With her speech done, she turned to look at Gaara again after having looked away to concentrate on forming the right words, to find them slightly wide eyed. She figures they hadn’t thought about it being even close to her explanation and were currently working through processing the information. 

 

She stood up and stretched briefly before walking past Gaara into the kitchen, patting their head on the way. 

 

“I’ll get you some hot chocolate, little bro.”

 

She’d have to make sure Gaara invited this mysterious boy over at some point. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hellloooo! sorry this took a little longer than usual, i was stressed about something that was happening last week so i couldn't really do much, but now it's done with so im free to live life as usual

**Author's Note:**

> if yall have title ideas for this hmu because i dont rlly like the current one i just needed smth so i could post blease help me
> 
> the title of the doc itself is 'will i be able to write narugaa? stay tuned' because i never title anything i write normally  
> this was going to be a oneshot but........ It's Not. hopefully ill update it somewhat soon? sorry for any errors i havent read thru the last half as much as the first so i mightve missed smth
> 
> gaara is also awkward and doesnt know how to talk to ppl and i LOVE HIM
> 
> [naruto, unknown amount of time later: i cant believe i found the love of my life bc my laptop was dead. wow. makes u think  
> gaara: its 4 am please go back to sleep]


End file.
